I don’t generally put too much stock into “best beer” lists. (Case in point: I just read one that touted Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin as one of the best IPAs in the country—it isn’t.)
Thanks to beer guru Tom “Grynder” Ciula, I found one that Paste Magazine posted last week that was incredibly well thought out, involved plenty of beers (115 to be exact), and was a blind test to ensure no bias.
There are some great beers on the list of the Best American Imperial IPAs. I won’t give away the top 10, but I was surprised to find big names like Pliny the Elder and Heady Topper out of the mix. Regardless of where beers landed it’s a great list and one that makes me want to do a lot of sampling.
For the record, Paste put together a Best IPAs list which was published in April. There are plenty of solid options on there too.
Ervtoberfest
Save Saturday for a visit to Oak Creek. Erv’s Mug (130 W. Ryan Rd.) is hosting the fifth annual Ervtoberfest from 5 to 9 p.m. and it’s shaping up to be a good one. Try as many fall brews as you’d like from breweries like 3 Sheeps, Ballast Point, New Glarus, Milwaukee Brewing, Lakefront, Sprecher, Brenner and more. And it’s not just about beer. The fest also includes a German buffet. If you haven’t been to Erv’s, now is definitely the time. Cost is $40 in advance and $50 at the door.
Barley Pop of the Week
Pumpkin brews are everywhere this time of year, but I have a soft spot for Lakefront Pumpkin Lager. It was my first pumpkin beer, and really one of the first beers I tried with a flavor other than a simple lager. The pumpkin flavor is strong, but unlike a few other similar beers, it never becomes too sweet or cloying. I honestly don’t care for brews that taste like pumpkin pie in a bottle, but I dig the Pumpkin Lager.
Quick Taps
Beercentric new bar Camino (434 S. 2nd St.) is planning to be open by early October. Keep this one on your radar. Owner Casey Rataczak, who has worked both as a bar manager and for the distributor Beer Capitol, knows his beer. Expect the tap lines at Camino to be pouring some special, well-curated brews.
Beer dinners at Tess (2499 N. Bartlett Ave.) seem to sell out quickly, so reserve your spot for this one ASAP. On Thursday, Oct. 1 Ballast Point comes to Tess for a five-course dinner. Call 414-964-8377 very soon to reserve your spot.
Synek made a visit to Lakefront over the weekend. The countertop beer dispenser is an intriguing idea and can be filled with any tap beer. The dispenser itself is cool, but I’m also a fan of Synek’s light hearted website.
Be sure to vote for your favorite Milwaukee beer bar on CraftBeer.com.
Events Brewing
Tuesday, Sept. 8: Brenner Brewing takes over the taps at Draft & Vessel (4417 N. Oakland Ave.) at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 9: Milwaukee Beer Society samples beers hauled back from the Pacific Northwest at Best Place (901 W. Juneau Ave.) from 6 to 9 p.m. Cost is $10.
Wednesday, Sept. 9: Beer School at Stubby’s (2060 N. Humboldt Ave.) features delicious stuff from Coronado Brewing. The learning and tasting starts at 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 11: Capital Brewery brings samples to Discount Liquor Milwaukee (5031 W. Oklahoma Ave.) from 4 to 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 11: Try MobCraft brews at Discount Liquor Waukesha (919 N. Barstow Ave.) from 4 to 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 11: Head to Uber Tap Room (1048 N. Old World Third St.) for a pairing of four Lakefront Brewery samples with four artisanal Wisconsin cheeses. The cost is just $14 and it all starts at 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 11: Great Lakes Brewing is featured at The Malt Shoppe (813 N. Mayfair Rd.) and they’ll be pouring Sharpshooter Wheat IPA and Nosferatu Imperial Red Ale. Brewery rep Adam Essman will be on hand to address all of your Great Lakes questions.
Saturday, Sept. 12: Discount Liquor Milwaukee hosts tastings of MobCraft (noon to 3 p.m.) and Sam Adams (3 to 5 p.m.) so you have two reasons to pretty much stay there all day.
Saturday, Sept. 12: Sam Adams samples are at Discount Liquor Waukesha from noon to 2 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 12: Sample new arrivals at Three Cellars (7133 S. 76th St.) from 1 to 4 p.m. Find a new brew for the fall.
